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How can I overcome social anxiety without medication?

How can I overcome social anxiety without medication?
Social anxiety is more than just shyness or fear. Social anxiety begins with a fear of being judged negatively and results in self-consciousness and avoidance of social situations. Many people with social anxiety disorder often avoid situations which make them feel as though others will notice their anxiety and they will become humiliated. Social anxiety disorder leaves a high risk for substance abuse and depression due to attempts at trying to self-medicate. If you are experiencing social anxiety or feel as though you may have social anxiety and would like to seek treatment, visit your primary care physician for more options. You may also take the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) to assess the way social phobia may be affecting your life.One of the most important things you can do is work with a therapist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has proven to be an effective alternative to drug therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapists focus on your behavior and what you are thinking to change negative thoughts into positive thoughts, and negative behavior into positive behavior.

The most common behavior problem for people with social anxiety is avoidance. Many will avoid situations in which their anxiety is provoked. Working with a CBT helps the individual approach social situations to realize that nothing bad is going to happen, this reduces anxious feelings. It also creates a personality for the person to face her fears and realize that her fears do not control her.Meditation is a popular technique for reducing the feelings of anxiety, stress and other tensions. Meditation is an amazing way to calm down, focus your mind, and center your thoughts. Practicing breathing techniques can help relax your mind and body, and stop those thoughts that are racing and raising your anxiety. Meditation is not as complicated as it sounds. There are plenty of guided meditation video clips and audio across the internet. It is important when meditating to do so in a quiet place, away from distractions, while keeping your eyes closed to further block out any disturbances. You can notice a tremendous difference in your mental health through as little as 10 minutes of meditation a day.

Mindfulness is the practice of being aware and doing nothing about it, paying attention on purpose, and being in the present moment non-judgmentally. This means feeling your anxiety and not shutting it off. It is paying attention to every thought, emotion, and sensation your body feels. It takes practice but it is not impossible. Mindfulness allows your body to build emotional tolerance as well as allows you to choose your reaction. Permitting uncomfortable feelings to come and then choosing how to deal with them gives you power over anxiety and not anxiety power of you.The basic principle here is that most social anxiety is caused by being overly focused on our social performance. By shifting the focus to making someone else comfortable, that problem goes away.